Response of mango tree nutritional status and biochemical constituents to boron and nitrogen fertilization

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Al Malak Valley Farm, El-Sharkeya Governorate-Egypt (30°–51° N; 32°–53° E) using 15 years old productive mango (Mangifera indica L.) trees cv. Zebda. The experiment was repeated for two successive seasons (2014/2015) and (2015/2016). The trees were planted 8×8 meters apart in sandy soil under drip irrigation system using the Nile water. Treatments included three concentrations of boron (0.0, 250, 500 mg L⁻¹) and three concentrations of nitrogen (1000, 1250, 1500 g nitrogen/tree/year). Boron was applied as foliar spray of boric acid and nitrogen was applied to the soil as ammonium sulfate. Treatments were arranged in a factorial Completely Randomized Block Design with three replicates for each treatment. Results show that boron application has improved mango tree nutritional status. Leaf nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and boron concentrations significantly increased as the boron application rate increased. In addition, boron application resulted in significant increase in leaf total chlorophyll, total carbohydrates, total sugars, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio and decrease in total phenol content. Boron showed higher impact than nitrogen on all tested parameters. The interaction treatment of 250 mg L⁻¹ boron and 1500 g/tree nitrogen proved to be the best treatment.

Keywords:

• boron
• C/N ratio
• nitrogen
• off year
• phosphorus
• potassium
• total carbohydrates
• total chlorophyll
• total phenols
• total sugars